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COPD, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, is a disease that causes your lung function to decline over time. COPD includes chronic bronchitis, emphysema, or both.
Day-to-day effects of COPD
- COPD symptoms may include coughing, shortness of breath, wheezing, and coughing up excess mucus. All of these can make it hard to breathe.
- COPD can make it difficult to breathe – even while doing simple, everyday activities.
- There are things you can do to help improve your lung function so you can breathe better.
What is an exacerbation?
- Even though you may have never heard the term, if you have COPD, chances are, you've had an exacerbation. Most people with COPD periodically suffer from a marked worsening of their COPD symptoms. This can last for a few days and often requires antibiotics, oral steroids, and in some cases, hospitalization. Doctors call this an exacerbation (ig-zas-er-BAY-shun).
- An exacerbation results in a notable increase in mucus production in your lungs or narrowing of the lungs' airways that may lead to worsening symptoms of cough and shortness of breath. Other symptoms may include a change in the color or amount of sputum, fever, insomnia, and fatigue.
- Exacerbations are very common among people with COPD. In fact, in a clinical study 77% of patients with COPD had an exacerbation within the past year.
- COPD exacerbations are most often caused by lung infections that can be either viral or bacterial. Exacerbations may also be caused by air pollution (including smoke); allergies; exposure to cold air, dust, or chemical fumes. For about one-third of exacerbations, the cause is unknown.
- The good news is that there are ways to reduce the number of COPD exacerbations.
How can ADVAIR help?
ADVAIR is NOW approved to reduce the number of COPD exacerbations.
ADVAIR helps to significantly improve lung function so you can breathe better. ADVAIR is the only COPD product that contains an anti-inflammatory* and a long-acting bronchodilator working together to help improve lung function.
ADVAIR is also clinically proven to help reduce the number of COPD exacerbations.† No other COPD medication is approved to do that.
Talk to your healthcare professional to see if ADVAIR is right for you.
*How anti-inflammatories work in COPD has not been defined.
†In people who have had an exacerbation.
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